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The Best Gift
THE BEST GIFT – by Eli Easton
With help from a Christmas miracle, two bruised hearts find joy again.
Greg Cabot is the third generation to run Cabot’s Christmas Wonderland and tree farm in rural Vermont. But this year will be his last. Since the death of his son, Sam, in Afghanistan, Greg no longer has the heart to run a business based on holiday cheer. When he picks up a hitchhiking soldier on a snowy night, he finds the help he needs to get his farm through the holidays—and maybe much more.
Sergeant Robbie Sparks doesn’t have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Badly wounded in Afghanistan, he’s spent most of the past year in recovery and was discharged after ten years of service. When fate lands him at Cabot’s tree farm, he feels like he’s fallen into a snow globe reality. Friendly people, gorgeous trees, lots of Christmas kitsch… and Greg Cabot.
Greg believes he’s too heartbroken for romance, but those we love never truly leave us. A little nudge from heaven may help build a bridge for these two men trying to heal. If only they are willing to take that first step.
This stand-alone, long novella is a small town, Christmas cornucopia, May-December, hurt/comfort , military romance stuffed full of family and holiday feels.
With help from a Christmas miracle, two bruised hearts find joy again.
Greg Cabot is the third generation to run Cabot’s Christmas Wonderland and tree farm in rural Vermont. But this year will be his last. Since the death of his son, Sam, in Afghanistan, Greg no longer has the heart to run a business based on holiday cheer. When he picks up a hitchhiking soldier on a snowy night, he finds the help he needs to get his farm through the holidays—and maybe much more.
Sergeant Robbie Sparks doesn’t have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Badly wounded in Afghanistan, he’s spent most of the past year in recovery and was discharged after ten years of service. When fate lands him at Cabot’s tree farm, he feels like he’s fallen into a snow globe reality. Friendly people, gorgeous trees, lots of Christmas kitsch… and Greg Cabot.
Greg believes he’s too heartbroken for romance, but those we love never truly leave us. A little nudge from heaven may help build a bridge for these two men trying to heal. If only they are willing to take that first step.
This stand-alone, long novella is a small town, Christmas cornucopia, May-December, hurt/comfort , military romance stuffed full of family and holiday feels.
168 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2021
100 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Eli Easton
70 books2,807 followersHaving been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a game designer, an organic farmer, an avid hiker, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author.
As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.
Her website in www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
COMING SOON:
See what's in the pipeline here: http://elieaston.com/work-in-progress/
As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.
Her website in www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
COMING SOON:
See what's in the pipeline here: http://elieaston.com/work-in-progress/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
November 10, 2021
This is a quiet, thoughtful story about two men who find each other by chance (or is it fate)?
Greg recently lost his son in Afghanistan. Sam was Greg's only child and the apple of his eye. Greg is going through the motions, but he's merely existing. He no longer finds joy in his family's Christmas farm and plans on selling it at the end of the season.
Robbie was injured overseas and feels adrift. He plans on spending Christmas with his aunt, since his parents are gone, but his heart isn't in it.
Greg picks up Robbie who's hitchhiking in the middle of a blizzard and offers him a place to stay and eventually a job.
The Best Gift is not a grand, passionate romance. Greg and Robbie's relationship develops slowly, carefully. They work side by side, and Greg pays attention to the way Robbie moves, the way he smells. And Robbie can't help but notice how handsome and kind Greg is, how well he treats his employees.
Robbie has a secret that most astute readers will figure out fairly quickly (although I had moments of doubt). Thankfully, when all is revealed there is no drama or separation. Greg and Robbie act like mature adults, not children.
The story is very much relationship focused with a side plot involving a homophobic neighbor who wants to buy Greg's farm.
If you're looking for a sweet (but not sugary) holiday romance with a strong hurt/comfort theme, this is the book for you. The epilogue will melt even the most frozen of hearts.
Greg recently lost his son in Afghanistan. Sam was Greg's only child and the apple of his eye. Greg is going through the motions, but he's merely existing. He no longer finds joy in his family's Christmas farm and plans on selling it at the end of the season.
Robbie was injured overseas and feels adrift. He plans on spending Christmas with his aunt, since his parents are gone, but his heart isn't in it.
Greg picks up Robbie who's hitchhiking in the middle of a blizzard and offers him a place to stay and eventually a job.
The Best Gift is not a grand, passionate romance. Greg and Robbie's relationship develops slowly, carefully. They work side by side, and Greg pays attention to the way Robbie moves, the way he smells. And Robbie can't help but notice how handsome and kind Greg is, how well he treats his employees.
Robbie has a secret that most astute readers will figure out fairly quickly (although I had moments of doubt). Thankfully, when all is revealed there is no drama or separation. Greg and Robbie act like mature adults, not children.
The story is very much relationship focused with a side plot involving a homophobic neighbor who wants to buy Greg's farm.
If you're looking for a sweet (but not sugary) holiday romance with a strong hurt/comfort theme, this is the book for you. The epilogue will melt even the most frozen of hearts.
November 21, 2021
What a spectacular story. This is like the ULTIMATE Christmas romance!!
And to me, it also represents something very special, because... I already knew the trope from another book that is one of my all time favorites. And Eli Easton used the same trope to create a Christmas masterpiece that can hardly be surpassed!!
But more on that later, as I do not want to take anything away from this story, it is absolutely beautiful - and incredibly tragic, looking back now to the time when this story takes place. I believe it plays in 2017 when America was still in a war against the Taliban, unaware how it would all end tragically a few years later...
Greg Cabot is going through the motions. His Christmas tree market has been in his family for generations and he hoped to one day pass it on to his son Sam, a soldier, who loved Christmas and their store as much as Greg did.
But Sam is dead. He never returned from Afghanistan.
Christmas isn't the same without him and work at Cabot's Christmas Wonderland doesn't give Greg any joy anymore. He thinks of selling the place, not knowing what to do with the rest of his life now that his son, his future, is gone.
A snow storm hits and Greg finds a hitchhiker limping on the road, offering the young man a ride and - due to the bad weather - a place to sleep. Robbie is on his way home after being discharged from the military. A terrible injury left him unfit for service and he's trying to return home after many months in hospital.
Seeing tired Greg working the Christmas market in the yard of the old farmhouse he was offered a bed in, Robbie immediately lends him a helping hand and eventually asks him for a job, at least until the main season at Cabot's Christmas Wonderland ends on Christmas Eve.
Greg accepts.
Sharing the big farmhouse and working the shop together gives Greg a sense of purpose again - and allows him to open his heart to another person for the first time since Sam's passing.
It's an incredibly beautiful story of grief and love. I actually cried reading it. I don't think there is a more heart-warming kind of fiction than this, it is literal perfection.
There's also an incredibly huge plot twist in there that I did not see coming until the last quarter of the book, but damn, it made so much sense. It was like the universe suddenly making sense.
It was exactly what I needed during these confusing times.
If you haven't read this Christmas masterpiece yet, please do so. It stirs feelings awake that are the purest form of Christmas you can find as an adult. Eli Easton is a master writer!
Aaaaand, since I already hinted at it.... if you like this story, be sure to also check out Melanie Hansen's Point of Contact. It's a beautiful favorite of mine, with exactly the same trope, but a very different setting.
5 stars and a top 10 favorite this year!
And to me, it also represents something very special, because... I already knew the trope from another book that is one of my all time favorites. And Eli Easton used the same trope to create a Christmas masterpiece that can hardly be surpassed!!
But more on that later, as I do not want to take anything away from this story, it is absolutely beautiful - and incredibly tragic, looking back now to the time when this story takes place. I believe it plays in 2017 when America was still in a war against the Taliban, unaware how it would all end tragically a few years later...
Greg Cabot is going through the motions. His Christmas tree market has been in his family for generations and he hoped to one day pass it on to his son Sam, a soldier, who loved Christmas and their store as much as Greg did.
But Sam is dead. He never returned from Afghanistan.
Christmas isn't the same without him and work at Cabot's Christmas Wonderland doesn't give Greg any joy anymore. He thinks of selling the place, not knowing what to do with the rest of his life now that his son, his future, is gone.
A snow storm hits and Greg finds a hitchhiker limping on the road, offering the young man a ride and - due to the bad weather - a place to sleep. Robbie is on his way home after being discharged from the military. A terrible injury left him unfit for service and he's trying to return home after many months in hospital.
Seeing tired Greg working the Christmas market in the yard of the old farmhouse he was offered a bed in, Robbie immediately lends him a helping hand and eventually asks him for a job, at least until the main season at Cabot's Christmas Wonderland ends on Christmas Eve.
Greg accepts.
Sharing the big farmhouse and working the shop together gives Greg a sense of purpose again - and allows him to open his heart to another person for the first time since Sam's passing.
It's an incredibly beautiful story of grief and love. I actually cried reading it. I don't think there is a more heart-warming kind of fiction than this, it is literal perfection.
There's also an incredibly huge plot twist in there that I did not see coming until the last quarter of the book, but damn, it made so much sense. It was like the universe suddenly making sense.
It was exactly what I needed during these confusing times.
If you haven't read this Christmas masterpiece yet, please do so. It stirs feelings awake that are the purest form of Christmas you can find as an adult. Eli Easton is a master writer!
Aaaaand, since I already hinted at it.... if you like this story, be sure to also check out Melanie Hansen's Point of Contact. It's a beautiful favorite of mine, with exactly the same trope, but a very different setting.
5 stars and a top 10 favorite this year!
December 17, 2021
I'm going to say what needs to be said: This book is like a watered-down version of Point of Contact.
It's true that Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen is one of my all-time favorite books, so to have another book with an incredibly similar plot that just wasn't nearly as good... I'm not going to be in love.
The Best Gift was a sweet holiday story, but it felt a bit bland and a bit done. It was a pleasing read that most readers will enjoy, but I don't think it will be anything memorable for me.
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It's true that Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen is one of my all-time favorite books, so to have another book with an incredibly similar plot that just wasn't nearly as good... I'm not going to be in love.
The Best Gift was a sweet holiday story, but it felt a bit bland and a bit done. It was a pleasing read that most readers will enjoy, but I don't think it will be anything memorable for me.
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November 6, 2025
Oh, this author. This book lulls you into a nice, cozy feeling, and everything is sweet and cuddly, and then on the last few pages, it kicks you in the gut. Yes, I cried like a baby.
Oh, that was good.
The crying, I mean.
The book is okay, not outstanding, you can see the little drama at the end coming a mile away, the plot is never surprising. But that's okay, it's a Christmas story and it's a short book, so it fits.
It's a tragic story, so the gentle narrative style is appropriate.
I actually got what I expected. There could have been a little more intimacy. The two sex scenes are super short. I like them the way they are, but some readers might find that too little.
Overall, a pleasing book for me.
They say grief is the price we pay for love. I know it's a price I'm willing to pay again, though I hope I won't have to for a long, long time. Or never. Never would be good. 😭😩😪🤧
Oh, that was good.
The crying, I mean.
The book is okay, not outstanding, you can see the little drama at the end coming a mile away, the plot is never surprising. But that's okay, it's a Christmas story and it's a short book, so it fits.
It's a tragic story, so the gentle narrative style is appropriate.
I actually got what I expected. There could have been a little more intimacy. The two sex scenes are super short. I like them the way they are, but some readers might find that too little.
Overall, a pleasing book for me.
They say grief is the price we pay for love. I know it's a price I'm willing to pay again, though I hope I won't have to for a long, long time. Or never. Never would be good. 😭😩😪🤧
November 22, 2021
this was, unfortunately, not a satisfying read for me. it was, like, 150 pages but somehow felt endless to me omg. i very nearly DNF’d around the halfway mark but decided to push through and finish it, and it just never really clicked for me. i guess i just don’t vibe with this authors writing style because i tend to dislike more of her books than i’ve liked. 2 stars.
November 19, 2021
Eli Easton is always welcome at my Gingerbread house. She writes the best little Christmas books and this year's is probably my favorite for reasons.
I hope everyone gives this a go - it's a quick read with lovely men who've been hurt and help each other get moving in life again. Very good stuff.
I hope everyone gives this a go - it's a quick read with lovely men who've been hurt and help each other get moving in life again. Very good stuff.
February 14, 2022
4 Stars!
Easton always does a perfect mix of feel good vibes and just enough emotional heft to make you (or in this instance, me) cry. This was no different.
Greg is struggling with the loss of his son who died in combat earlier in the year, and he is barely making it through the holiday season as he mans their family run Christmas tree farm. When Greg picks up a stranger hitchhiking into the coming storm, he sets off a series of events that he would never anticipate.
Robbie is wounded and recovering from his recent stint in the military. Discharged and with really no where to go, it’s pure luck that Greg offers him a holiday job to get him through to the end of the year. Of course, these two connect in their loneliness and end up giving each other all the things the holidays can possibly bring - hope, happiness, and renewal.
Again, Easton is an expert at hurt comfort with both happy and sad tears, and for those of you who have read Hansen’s Point of Contact, this had all the vibes but imbued with Christmas goodness. Overall, a holiday story that doesn’t shy away from tragic life challenges and will ultimately warm you from the inside out!
Easton always does a perfect mix of feel good vibes and just enough emotional heft to make you (or in this instance, me) cry. This was no different.
Greg is struggling with the loss of his son who died in combat earlier in the year, and he is barely making it through the holiday season as he mans their family run Christmas tree farm. When Greg picks up a stranger hitchhiking into the coming storm, he sets off a series of events that he would never anticipate.
Robbie is wounded and recovering from his recent stint in the military. Discharged and with really no where to go, it’s pure luck that Greg offers him a holiday job to get him through to the end of the year. Of course, these two connect in their loneliness and end up giving each other all the things the holidays can possibly bring - hope, happiness, and renewal.
Again, Easton is an expert at hurt comfort with both happy and sad tears, and for those of you who have read Hansen’s Point of Contact, this had all the vibes but imbued with Christmas goodness. Overall, a holiday story that doesn’t shy away from tragic life challenges and will ultimately warm you from the inside out!
November 18, 2021
So after announcing that I was not ready for Christmas romances, I still went ahead and read this.
It was very sweet and very Christmas-y. I have nothing else to say. 🤷♀️
After a good night of sleep, coming back to add that it felt rushed and underdeveloped, and then wrapped in a Christmas package. Very Hallmark movie? But maybe I’m just not in the mood?
It was very sweet and very Christmas-y. I have nothing else to say. 🤷♀️
After a good night of sleep, coming back to add that it felt rushed and underdeveloped, and then wrapped in a Christmas package. Very Hallmark movie? But maybe I’m just not in the mood?
December 15, 2021
Bittersweet. Heartwarming. Magical.
...with some meddling from high above. I figured Robbie's secret out immediately and knew exactly what would happen, but I didn't care. #bloodybooksthatmademecry
Besides, who wouldn't love two guys who watch Die Hard at Christmas? 😉
...with some meddling from high above. I figured Robbie's secret out immediately and knew exactly what would happen, but I didn't care. #bloodybooksthatmademecry
Besides, who wouldn't love two guys who watch Die Hard at Christmas? 😉
November 16, 2021
See, I am not much of a holiday romance reader but this one has that perfect festive vibe without making the romance too fluffy. And, I am not giving it a five star only because it's a novella. Otherwise, this is the perfect holiday romance for me.
You are in for a treat…..
1. Christmasy vibe- Well!!! Of course, it's a holiday romance. But our MC, Greg Cabot owns a family tree farm and a Christmas wonderland store, can't get more Christmas vibe than this one.
2. May-December romance- Greg is in his early forties. He has lost his only son in the Afghanistan war. Robbie is 28 but after ten years of active duty and a severe injury, he is suffering from PTSD.
3. Kinda boss-employee because Robbie is working at Greg's farm for the holiday season. But it feels like strangers to friends to lovers sort of a story.
4. Hurt/comfort, angst- In less than 150 pages, Eli Easton included a lot of hurt/comfort, Rd and angsty moments. The relationship between Greg and Robbie is developed over a month and I liked the harmony of it, nothing felt rushed or forced.
I cried I know such a cliche because I hate hallmark type of holiday romance movies but to me, love always feels too real when it happens between the pages.
Highly recommended…….
You are in for a treat…..
1. Christmasy vibe- Well!!! Of course, it's a holiday romance. But our MC, Greg Cabot owns a family tree farm and a Christmas wonderland store, can't get more Christmas vibe than this one.
2. May-December romance- Greg is in his early forties. He has lost his only son in the Afghanistan war. Robbie is 28 but after ten years of active duty and a severe injury, he is suffering from PTSD.
3. Kinda boss-employee because Robbie is working at Greg's farm for the holiday season. But it feels like strangers to friends to lovers sort of a story.
4. Hurt/comfort, angst- In less than 150 pages, Eli Easton included a lot of hurt/comfort, Rd and angsty moments. The relationship between Greg and Robbie is developed over a month and I liked the harmony of it, nothing felt rushed or forced.
I cried I know such a cliche because I hate hallmark type of holiday romance movies but to me, love always feels too real when it happens between the pages.
Highly recommended…….
December 27, 2021
4 Stars
Easily the most emotionally weighted of the Christmas romances I read this season (which is a compliment), Easton’s The Best Gift is a story of two men dealing with their own forms of grief and trauma, finding a new sense of purpose and second-chance happiness together, during the holiday season on a Christmas tree farm.
Dealing with the themes present, this could have easily been swept away by too much angst and heartache, but Easton skillfully managed to keep the tone hopeful and sentimental rather than maudlin, all while remaining honest and realistic to the story and its complex characters.
I liked this story a good deal. I felt for the MCs, Greg and Robbie, and I rooted for their newfound love. I also loved the Christmas tree farm setting, getting to witness the day-to-day happenings of such a business during snowy peak season, which is wholly outside my experience, being an Australian who lives through a summer Christmas and has only ever known fake trees at Christmastime.
Overall, this was an easy and heart-warming story to read. And, personally, one of my favourites of Easton’s holiday romances to date.
Easily the most emotionally weighted of the Christmas romances I read this season (which is a compliment), Easton’s The Best Gift is a story of two men dealing with their own forms of grief and trauma, finding a new sense of purpose and second-chance happiness together, during the holiday season on a Christmas tree farm.
Dealing with the themes present, this could have easily been swept away by too much angst and heartache, but Easton skillfully managed to keep the tone hopeful and sentimental rather than maudlin, all while remaining honest and realistic to the story and its complex characters.
I liked this story a good deal. I felt for the MCs, Greg and Robbie, and I rooted for their newfound love. I also loved the Christmas tree farm setting, getting to witness the day-to-day happenings of such a business during snowy peak season, which is wholly outside my experience, being an Australian who lives through a summer Christmas and has only ever known fake trees at Christmastime.
Overall, this was an easy and heart-warming story to read. And, personally, one of my favourites of Easton’s holiday romances to date.
November 16, 2021
I was lucky to beta read this beautiful festive romance from Eli who is, imho, one of the absolute best at writing them.
I've adored every single Christmas romance she's ever written and this one was no exception. It's a slow burn-y, small age gap, hurt/comfort story with a hint of mystery and perhaps an element of deliberate intervention to set up the meeting between Greg and Robbie.
As my lovely friend Dani says, the astute reader will pick up what's at the heart of this novel - the connection between Greg and Robbie that only one of them is aware of.
It's a quiet and sweet story, it slowly builds up the friendship first between two men who are both not only grieving a loss but who are also dealing with their own extra pain and complications.
it's a story about hope, about love, about not missing out on a chance that's given to you when you think all is lost. It's about traditions, family, moving on and it's just perfect for a festive read.
Although it's only a novella, Eli manages, as she always does, to craft a fully fleshed out story with characters who burst off the page in their realness.
#ARC kindly received from the author via GRR Tours in return for an honest and unbiased review
I've adored every single Christmas romance she's ever written and this one was no exception. It's a slow burn-y, small age gap, hurt/comfort story with a hint of mystery and perhaps an element of deliberate intervention to set up the meeting between Greg and Robbie.
As my lovely friend Dani says, the astute reader will pick up what's at the heart of this novel - the connection between Greg and Robbie that only one of them is aware of.
It's a quiet and sweet story, it slowly builds up the friendship first between two men who are both not only grieving a loss but who are also dealing with their own extra pain and complications.
it's a story about hope, about love, about not missing out on a chance that's given to you when you think all is lost. It's about traditions, family, moving on and it's just perfect for a festive read.
Although it's only a novella, Eli manages, as she always does, to craft a fully fleshed out story with characters who burst off the page in their realness.
#ARC kindly received from the author via GRR Tours in return for an honest and unbiased review
November 23, 2021
Just lovely.
And heart-warming.
And Christmassy in a nostalgic, uplifting way, leaving me with warm, fuzzy feelings rather than reach for a shot of insulin.
I could not believe I had to grab for tissues…. twice! Even if it was obvious where the storyline about Robbie’s secret was heading. I loved that the author dropped a hint about that early on, and I was so chuffed I actually got it!
Both, Greg and Robbie, have been hit hard by life and death, and I adored the calm and quiet vibe of their relationship, how they appreciate so many little things, and that they fit perfectly for so many more reasons than being attracted to each other.
Thoroughly enjoyed this!
And what a fitting title!
And heart-warming.
And Christmassy in a nostalgic, uplifting way, leaving me with warm, fuzzy feelings rather than reach for a shot of insulin.
I could not believe I had to grab for tissues…. twice! Even if it was obvious where the storyline about Robbie’s secret was heading. I loved that the author dropped a hint about that early on, and I was so chuffed I actually got it!
Both, Greg and Robbie, have been hit hard by life and death, and I adored the calm and quiet vibe of their relationship, how they appreciate so many little things, and that they fit perfectly for so many more reasons than being attracted to each other.
Thoroughly enjoyed this!
And what a fitting title!
December 31, 2022
Initial thoughts (11/16/2021): cute, holiday M/M romance. For the Hallmark vibes but Gay please try this. Military/PTSD was well done and my concerns about Robbie knowing Greg's son were founded but their relationship was not of friends the same age and apparently Sam had wanted to set them up. Full review to come. I planned to review it today but I couldn't resist starting a new book.
Final Review (11/18/2021): This was my first ever Eli Easton novel and I will definetly be coming back. I was looking for Hallmark feels with a not straight twist and this delievered. Apologies if this seems somewhat repetitive of my initial thoughts but 100% this is the type of vibe that it gives. The writing was artful and beautiful, not flowery but descriptive for the page count which I loved. Alternating POV is a must for me to enjoy a romance and this has it, equally divided between Greg and Robbie. I don’t generally look for smut in romances. I read a lot of smut but like 70% of the time I skim that so a romance that’s light on it is a plus. Relationships can be literarily developed well without on the page explicit sex. This does not quite fade to black but it is vague. There is not a lot of steam on the page but it definitely delivers on the fluffy romance feel.
The epilogue cemented the feels.
The characters are so good.
Greg depressed, 3rd generation Christmas tree farmer who lost his son and is gonna have to give up the farm. He’s lost his holiday cheer.
Robbie a Sergeant in the Army who was wounded in Afgahnistan has spent last year trying to recover and has since been discharged. He is hitch hiking in the snow, which seems dangerous to me but compared to the deserts of Kandahar not so much. And then Greg helps him out and gives him a job. A relationship blossoms from there but not without their struggles.
Sam Greg and Roseanne’s late son. He died at 19 serving in Afgahnistan.
A great military/holiday/gay romance. I highly recommend it! And if you have Kindle Unlimited no excuses, pick this up.
Final Review (11/18/2021): This was my first ever Eli Easton novel and I will definetly be coming back. I was looking for Hallmark feels with a not straight twist and this delievered. Apologies if this seems somewhat repetitive of my initial thoughts but 100% this is the type of vibe that it gives. The writing was artful and beautiful, not flowery but descriptive for the page count which I loved. Alternating POV is a must for me to enjoy a romance and this has it, equally divided between Greg and Robbie. I don’t generally look for smut in romances. I read a lot of smut but like 70% of the time I skim that so a romance that’s light on it is a plus. Relationships can be literarily developed well without on the page explicit sex. This does not quite fade to black but it is vague. There is not a lot of steam on the page but it definitely delivers on the fluffy romance feel.
The epilogue cemented the feels.
The characters are so good.
Greg depressed, 3rd generation Christmas tree farmer who lost his son and is gonna have to give up the farm. He’s lost his holiday cheer.
Robbie a Sergeant in the Army who was wounded in Afgahnistan has spent last year trying to recover and has since been discharged. He is hitch hiking in the snow, which seems dangerous to me but compared to the deserts of Kandahar not so much. And then Greg helps him out and gives him a job. A relationship blossoms from there but not without their struggles.
Sam Greg and Roseanne’s late son. He died at 19 serving in Afgahnistan.
A great military/holiday/gay romance. I highly recommend it! And if you have Kindle Unlimited no excuses, pick this up.
November 19, 2021
Oh, this book.
It had me swooning in the most magical of Christmas-sy ways.
The story was bittersweet and the author balanced the heartbreak with the hope perfectly.
Excuse me now while I go sell all my belongings and move to a Christmas tree farm.
It had me swooning in the most magical of Christmas-sy ways.
The story was bittersweet and the author balanced the heartbreak with the hope perfectly.
Excuse me now while I go sell all my belongings and move to a Christmas tree farm.
December 23, 2021
There was much to like about this heartwarming holiday story.
But there was also a great deal of 'highly unlikely' moments that pulsed in the background.
It also felt familiar to me and I didn't put it together until recently that it echoed another story quite closely.
Although I have very much enjoyed Easton's books in the past I can't say the last few have been winners for me.
It was sweet and a nice way to spend the afternoon. But it didn't knock my socks off.
*3ish stars*
But there was also a great deal of 'highly unlikely' moments that pulsed in the background.
It also felt familiar to me and I didn't put it together until recently that it echoed another story quite closely.
Although I have very much enjoyed Easton's books in the past I can't say the last few have been winners for me.
It was sweet and a nice way to spend the afternoon. But it didn't knock my socks off.
*3ish stars*
November 8, 2021
I missed my Christmas Eli Easton book last year and this year she's back with a banger! A really gorgeous romance, lots of heart, exactly what I want in a Christmas book. (reading under the covers at 5am this morning and sobbing was involved too) <3
November 14, 2021
A soldier recovering from being wounded at war.
A dad grieving for the son who lost his life at war.
The Best Gift by Eli Easton is the quiet story of two men who find each other when both are hurting.
There's something special about a quiet, almost melancholy story that can draw you in and make us believe in the magic of Christmas.
It has:
-Age gap
-The lovely butterflies in your stomach of two people falling for each other.
-Nice pacing
-Hurt/Comfort/Healing
-Alternating POVs
-Lovely supporting cast
-And a HEA that will fill you with happiness.
This is a heartwarming holiday story of new beginnings.
Highly recommend it.
November 18, 2021
I liked it, it's very predictable Hallmark movie, which I'm not a fan of.
I liked the characters and setting, it's a sweet gentle story. There's unnecessary secret keeping -I didn't get how it took so long to figure out- Sam leaves a heavy atmosphere at times, though there's also the hint of something magical in the air. I'll admit I felt teary at one point, though it could easily have been lack of sleep 😉.
I want to say I loved it, it's a nice spirit of Christmas time story. But it lacks something, can't even say what, but for me the story needed 'something' more to it. Perhaps the story is too much recovery and soldiering on, it's slow and careful when I wanted a little more feel of romance and star shine.
Think a lot will love this.
I liked the characters and setting, it's a sweet gentle story. There's unnecessary secret keeping -I didn't get how it took so long to figure out- Sam leaves a heavy atmosphere at times, though there's also the hint of something magical in the air. I'll admit I felt teary at one point, though it could easily have been lack of sleep 😉.
I want to say I loved it, it's a nice spirit of Christmas time story. But it lacks something, can't even say what, but for me the story needed 'something' more to it. Perhaps the story is too much recovery and soldiering on, it's slow and careful when I wanted a little more feel of romance and star shine.
Think a lot will love this.
November 30, 2021
This is a sweet and warm holiday story with enough poignancy to give it depth. Greg lost his son in the military overseas, and now the Christmas tree farm that has been his family legacy feels like a dead end. No more family, no more legacy, and in his grief he doesn't even want to celebrate Christmas anymore. Greg's going to white-knuckle it through one more holiday season, and then sell the place off.
But when he picks up a military veteran hitchhiking one cold evening, and offers the man a room for the night, his life is about to change.
For Robbie, getting picked up by Greg, and finding work and a place to stay, gives him an anchor he was missing after his injury and separation from the service. But Greg is grieving, Robbie has baggage, and there's more than a decade between them. Anything more than friendship seems unlikely.
There are no big surprises in this story (there's one twist, but foreshadowed enough to be expected.) But the characters are appealing, the progression is sweet, the secondaries are interesting, the setting is holiday-perfection, and the moments of quiet emotion work. I'm adding this one to my comfort-rereads list, for those times when a little heart-tugging and a sweet resolution are just what I need.
But when he picks up a military veteran hitchhiking one cold evening, and offers the man a room for the night, his life is about to change.
For Robbie, getting picked up by Greg, and finding work and a place to stay, gives him an anchor he was missing after his injury and separation from the service. But Greg is grieving, Robbie has baggage, and there's more than a decade between them. Anything more than friendship seems unlikely.
There are no big surprises in this story (there's one twist, but foreshadowed enough to be expected.) But the characters are appealing, the progression is sweet, the secondaries are interesting, the setting is holiday-perfection, and the moments of quiet emotion work. I'm adding this one to my comfort-rereads list, for those times when a little heart-tugging and a sweet resolution are just what I need.
November 28, 2021
This was the best Christmas story I’ve read in a long time. It is a beautiful story and it made me cry both happy and sad tears. I love the way Eli Easton writes. The prose just flows so easily.
November 16, 2021
[4.5] YES I SAW THAT ENDING COMING AND YES I STILL SHED A FEW TEARS 😭✌🏼
maybe i’m biased but Eli Easton’s holiday reads always hit different in the best of ways 🤧🤧 while you won’t get intense levels of steam, you can expect artfully packed feels in a nice condensed novella 🥊
maybe i’m biased but Eli Easton’s holiday reads always hit different in the best of ways 🤧🤧 while you won’t get intense levels of steam, you can expect artfully packed feels in a nice condensed novella 🥊
December 28, 2021
Even though I'm a December child and I love Christmas, I have discovered that I'm not crazy about Christmas stories, so I tend to choose them really carefully, meaning too much fluff ain't for me. 😑😑
This one had a good amount of drama, a good plot, even though I've read this somewhere else 🤔🤔, and it was really heartfelt/heartwarming without being too much.
So I really enjoyed it, not only the story itself but the characters, the hurt/pain trope and the little angst that brought. I did discover things quickly, but it's a short book so that's bound to happen.
Loved it! 🥰🥰❤
This one had a good amount of drama, a good plot, even though I've read this somewhere else 🤔🤔, and it was really heartfelt/heartwarming without being too much.
So I really enjoyed it, not only the story itself but the characters, the hurt/pain trope and the little angst that brought. I did discover things quickly, but it's a short book so that's bound to happen.
Loved it! 🥰🥰❤
December 12, 2022
This book was a sweet and short read. Cute story and enjoyed the characters. Wish it went a bit deeper.
November 9, 2021
A beautiful heartwarming holiday story about second chance, acceptance, grieving and starting over.
This is a gorgeous May December romance I needed nearing the end of this year.
Easton delivered something very romantic in the middle of pine forest, snow, and two lost souls who were finding warmth in each other arms.
I read it in one sitting, couldn't put it down, because it was so beautiful.
Losing someone you loved so much was never easy, but then you won't let your grieve sabotaged your happiness in the future.
That's what Greg and Robbie's do :)
Recommended!
November 18, 2021
Lovely read. I may have wiped a tear or two away. *sniff
December 11, 2021
This one did not work for me, unfortunately. Both MCs lacked depth, I don't feel I know them. Their connection didn't come through. There wasn't enough showing, for example we are told several times that Robbie is a smartass or funny but we don't see it. I didn't really see how they got to know each other either. The passage of time was also weird, I sometimes felt that a long time had passed but then was told it had only been 3 days, which was confusing. The secret, I won't spoil it but I guess it on page 16 and it was badly handled IMHO. It would have worked better in single POV because then we could have seen that something was off, that there was a secret. It would have provided angst that was needed here. We get both POV but are not told the secret before the reveal, which was strange to me. The person keeping the secret should have been afraid to be found out or should have been more hesitant than he was, at least in his inner monologue. One subplot, with the neighbor was OTT and out of place to me.
It had the bones of a good story but was somehow lacking, a shame. Onto the next
It had the bones of a good story but was somehow lacking, a shame. Onto the next
November 29, 2021
🌲 A lovely holiday story. 🎄
I'm on a pretty good streak with romantic holiday stories so far this season!
'The Best Gift' delivers all the sweet and lovely. It's a heartwarming story about a man trying to make it through the devastating loss of his only son and finding love with a wounded soldier Who he picks up hitchhiking near his home. I thought it's pretty obvious who Robbie was going to end up being and I was a little worried that was going to be used to create some manufactured drama, but it wasn't, it was perfectly woven into the storyline.
Kudos to Easton for creating a really wonderful story that doesn't shy away from grief and loss and new beginnings and that experience of finding meaning in life when you thought you'd lost everything.
I'm on a pretty good streak with romantic holiday stories so far this season!
'The Best Gift' delivers all the sweet and lovely. It's a heartwarming story about a man trying to make it through the devastating loss of his only son and finding love with a wounded soldier Who he picks up hitchhiking near his home. I thought it's pretty obvious who Robbie was going to end up being and I was a little worried that was going to be used to create some manufactured drama, but it wasn't, it was perfectly woven into the storyline.
Kudos to Easton for creating a really wonderful story that doesn't shy away from grief and loss and new beginnings and that experience of finding meaning in life when you thought you'd lost everything.
February 8, 2022
4 tear-jerker stars!! 😭❤️ Although I have read a similar book previously, it still brought me to tears. This was not a rom-com (which is typically what I love to read), it was angsty and heart-breaking, but also heart-warming and sentimental. Overall, I enjoyed it. Highly recommended!! 👍👍
October 20, 2022
it was perfect for my mood
I wanted to read a well written, not sad but not overly fluffy book with real characters and good plot. It was everything I was looking for, so yay. Eli Easton is an amazing author. Age gap- military guy- grief- Christmas wonderland.
I wanted to read a well written, not sad but not overly fluffy book with real characters and good plot. It was everything I was looking for, so yay. Eli Easton is an amazing author. Age gap- military guy- grief- Christmas wonderland.
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